Fertilizers and Animal Feed: A Trade of Around 200,000 Tons per Year
How Much Italy Exports and Where
What is inside the containers that move through Italian ports every day?
Not only everyday consumer goods, but also less visible commodities that are essential for entire production chains. Among these are fertilizers and animal feed commodities that move significant volumes and have recently gained an increasingly important role in international trade.
What Is Meant by Animal-Derived Fertilizers
The term “fertilizers” refers to products obtained from the recovery of by-products from meat processing, particularly bones and blood, treated in full compliance with current health regulations. This is an example of circular economy, in line with principles of sustainability and resource reuse.
The two main products shipped in containers are:
- Bone meal, derived from the processing of bones.
- Blood meal, obtained by drying blood.
Both are brownish powders and, depending on their chemical properties and market requirements, can be used either as fertilizers or as ingredients for animal feed and pet food.
Production and Traffic Volumes
These products are collected at meat processing facilities located throughout Italy. Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and Piedmont regions are where production is concentrated.
Around a thousand containers are shipped each month, totaling over 20 million kilograms annually. These figures make this commodity a constant presence in Italian exports.
Around a thousand containers are shipped each month, totaling over 20 million kilograms annually. These figures make this commodity a constant presence in Italian exports.
Destination Markets
Italian products are considered high quality, like those from Northern Europe in particular Ireland and Poland— due to livestock feeding regimes and strict health controls applied throughout the supply chain.
Southeast Asia is the main destination with Vietnam and Thailand being key countries where market demand for animal-derived fertilizers and feed continues to grow.
Loading Procedures and Health Controls
The goods are loaded into containers in sacks. Before departure, the exporter must enter all shipment data into TRACES, the European platform managed by the EU veterinary system.
The container is then sealed and transported to the port at least 24 hours before loading.
This time buffer allows for inspections by official sanitary points of control (PIF), reducing the risk of delays or missed shipments.
Industry operators note that the introduction of electronic seals with barcodes could further reduce operational errors and speed up verification procedures in the future.
A Discreet but Strategic Supply Chain
Although it remains out of the spotlight, the fertilizers and feed sector represents an essential part of Italy’s international trade. A complex, regulated, and highly specialized supply chain that contributes tangibly to the stability of global agricultural and livestock markets.